[04] Western Shootout!

[Victoria]

“Pah!” Victoria spat out the sand that had gotten into her mouth, and looked around dubiously. All of the places she would be stuck in and it had to be a desert. No, wait. She looked left, and then right, and noticed that the buildings were old and rustic. It was not as bad as she had first thought. She climbed to her feet and ran a hand through her long hair, sand mingled between the strands. “How is it that I walked through the portal, and you still made me come out the other end in a tumble?” She asked the sky. She sighed and let her arms hang lazily at her sides. “What’s this place, then?” She started to walk, taking note of the dry atmosphere and the wooden buildings. A tumbleweed danced across her path, and a door slammed in the wind. “Ghost town?” She wondered aloud, and stopped.

Ping!

A bullet hit the sign above her, making it turn erratically on the pole in which it had been hung. Vic looked up in shock, and then behind. A man held his gun up, barrel smoking, and grimaced.

“Tch, missed.” He cocked the gun and pulled the trigger again, without hesitation, making the girl jump and bounce two steps to the side. A cloud of sandy dust rose from the ground and she stared from the man to the dust.

“What the hell? Why’re you shooting at me?!” She held up a fist in anger.

“You’re one of them, aren’t ‘cha?” He aimed his gun again, ready to shoot. Victoria didn’t have time to play games; she jumped out of the street and onto the wooden patio. She pushed through the doorway and into the dark building. She could hear whispering, and as her eyes adjusted, she could see many faces.

“Shit, what’s going on here?” she asked, looking at the frightened occupants.

“Shootout, best find a safe place before you get shot.” A young man replied.

“’Eh, get out here, you green bellied whelp!” The man called, and stomped onto the patio.

Vic turned, and clenched her fists. “I don’t hide, and I’m not a whelp!” She slammed open the double doors and hit the cowboy right in the face. He stumbled backwards, nose bleeding, and spewing vulgarities. “You want a fight, you’re gonna get it, no one messes with me.” She pointed her finger at him vehemently and looked down her nose.

“Why, I oughta!” He whipped his gun forward and began firing at her. Victoria jumped out of the way, rolled, and held up her hand as a gun this time. She fired at him in turn, and he stepped away just in time, her electric bullet hit the wooden building making the wall splinter. “Bad aim, too bad for you!” He shot at her again, and she dodged left and right. He was quick with his return fire, but she wouldn’t be beaten so easily. She grinned and lifted a second hand to match her other.

“Games over, cowboy!” She shouted and began letting lose energy bullets upon him. He dodged the first two, but the third nailed him in the leg. The fourth shot got him in the chest, and he slumped upon the ground in agony.

“Oh no, Delilah! I’ve failed!” He moaned, and clutched at his heart before finally bleeding out to death.

“Give me a break.” Vic placed a hand on her hip. “I hope they’re not all that dramatic.” She turned and began trekking further into the town. Gunfire could be heard, along with shouting. It seemed that this gunfight would not be simple, nothing Gamer designed was simple. She imagined there would be more than enough cowboys and the like to keep her busy. What’s the angle here She wondered, looking slowly around for any danger. First zombies, and then a sinking ship, and after that a bomb mission. What am I doing here? Or did he just want to watch me shoot people? She clenched her fingers into fists tightly.

A man came running out of an alleyway, and he pushed past her. He lifted his gun and let lose a barrage of bullets, but not aiming for her. His face had been covered in fear. She turned to see another man, larger, dodging all of his bullets. He laughed and fired back. The younger man fell and clawed at the sandy ground, his gun having fallen a foot from his grasp. The pursuing cowboy pushed Vic out of the way, making her fall onto her ass. He riddled the fallen man with lead, grinning sadistically.

“And what’s this,” he turned to cast his gaze upon her. “Strayed from the saloon maybe?” He licked his lips and stared down at her thighs. “You’d make a find addition to the bandits!” He pulled a loop of rope from his belt and loomed over her.

“I don’t think so, asshole!” Victoria shot her leg upwards, making him double forward in anguish. She jumped up, slammed her knee into his face, and grabbed him by his shirt. She pulled the fabric forward and over his head, making him scramble about in blind rage.

“You stupid wench!” He grasped for her, but she dodged away and fired her hand-gun at him. Blood spewed into the wind, splattering the sand, and he fell over onto his victim.

She planted a foot onto his chest and held up her finger, smoking like a real pistol. She blew off the tips and grinned smugly. “This town ain't big enough for the both of us.”